ROTTEN

Mutants ... What do you imagine when you hear the words mutants? Do they look just like ordinary humans, or do they take on monstrous forms unlike anything you have ever seen? Do they possess extraordinary powers, or are they merely different in appearance? How do they live? Where do they reside? What do they eat? How do they interact with one another? Are they more like humans or animals? What exactly are mutants? Mutant blood was first created in a European country during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By the nineteenth century, it had begun to spread across the globe. The original purpose of the human mutation project was to bring mythological creatures into existence. By combining human DNA with that of animals and plants, scientists developed a special kind of blood capable of granting humans abnormal abilities—superpowers much like those seen in superhero movies. Over time, the project evolved into a biological weapons program used during the World Wars. Countless victims of these experiments were scattered across the world, including Indonesia. And so began the emergence of mutants in Indonesia. In this country, mutants are divided into two categories: sidra and wengka. Sidra: Mutants who can adapt to mutant blood. Despite possessing superhuman abilities, they retain their human appearance and personality. Wengka: Mutants who fail to adapt to mutant blood. They transform into terrifying monsters, stripped of their sanity but endowed with superhuman abilities. However, Indonesia's technological and scientific backwardness led many to believe that mutants were nothing more than mythical creatures or supernatural beings. The sidra kept themselves hidden from society, while the wengka, which roamed among ordinary people, came to be known as buto—a Javanese term meaning "giant." Parents often frightened their children with tales of buto that would devour anyone foolish enough to venture outside after dark. Terrified by these stories, the children learned to obey. Among them was Audrey Sinatra, the daughter of a soldier, who feared the buto without ever knowing the truth behind their existence.